Monthly Archives: May 2013

Probably some of the slickest shoes you could wear on the way to the office (or pub, or park, or coffee shop…). My first pair of racing shoes were drilled leather uppers with leather soles and nailed on cleats. The “Fixed” shoe above takes what was the best of that era of shoe design and updates the design with a few modern additions. The uppers are a natural tan leather and the soles are made of rubber (not disimilar to those on Camper shoes). The backs of the shoes have a nice reflective stripe. These are the sort of shoes that just get better with age as the leather gets used to your foot and starts to shape itself.

Watching Stage 7 of the GIRO this week and Emanuele Sella get beaten into submission by Adam Hanson, there was lots of talk of how great it was that these guys were “up the road getting TV time for their sponsors“. In Hanson’s case the sponsors are obvious, and pretty well known. The team is also lucky to have principle sponsors who invest large amounts in the team, which in the end makes for a simple message and a nicely designed kit. In the case of Sella, not so much. A team that relies on a wildcard and the generosity of their national grand Tour finds it harder to attract the big name deal, and has to work hard to make the numbers work by bringing in as many backers as possible. It was just in this case apart from Venezuela (I took geography) I had no idea who any of the names where on the jersey (apart from the bike). So here it is, the anatomy of the Androni jersey.

Described as a book for “Pass-Lovers“, this is a collection of some of the most stunning mountain shots you will ever see. The incredible images are shot by Stefan Bogner who runs a design agency in Munich. Each year he takes a break and relocates to the Alps to continue his documentation of the most stunning roads in Europe. They are a combination of images captured from both the road and helicopter through all the seasons. I found the book on a recent trip to Europe, but unfortunately it isn’t available here in the US. It can be ordered from the German publisher Editions Delius here. It isn’t cheap, but believe me if you are looking for some road inspiration, this is the book.